Today we celebrated Finn’s 8-week B-day by taking him to the park in nearby Los Gatos. We spied what Margot dubbed “the tiny train filled with tiny people” and eagerly imagined taking him for a ride on it. A family we encountered had just rescued two abandoned kittens from the bushes, but somehow I failed to get a picture of los gatos in Los Gatos (d’oh!). In any case, here are a few snaps I did take along the way (also available in smaller HTML form).
Finn has a message for you; click the photo at left to see it. 🙂
On Sunday our friend Eileen Whitson (hence “E-Dub”) dropped by for a first visit with the Finn-man. She’s a real pro when it comes to finding groovy, offbeat gifts (previously scoring a tiny Lucha Libre mask for Finn!), and on this trip she brought flowers and some great little baby sunglasses. Unfortunately our small friend was too fussy to wear the specs, but I’m sure they’ll pop up soon in pictures.
Here’s the gallery (also available in smaller, simpler HTML form in case you have problems viewing the Flash version).
PS–Extra credit if you can spot Finn tossing up a gang sign (“Wes’ siiiide!”). 😉
Yesterday and Friday we had the treat of having our friends Adolfo and Romina visiting from Buenos Aires. They taught us all kinds of fun Spanish words for Finn-related things (“chupete” for pacifier; “cachetes” for cheeks), and we showed them around the area, including a trip to Santa Cruz (nowhere better to inspect North American Paleo-Hippies in the patchouli-scented flesh). I’ve combined those photos with some Margot and I snapped of the young Captain around the house. Here’s the gallery (also in HTML).
Normally you’d think a “knuckle sandwich” doesn’t sound too appealing, but to Finn there’s nothing finer.
To date he’s struggled to find his mouth with the proverbial two hands and a flashlight. Now, though, he’s getting closer, closer to tasting the sweet succulence of his fingers anytime he’d like. His latest technique is to use one hand to support & boost the other towards his lips–a very cute little process as he grunts slowly towards his goal.
Unfortunately it’s a very hit-and-miss affair–where hits include foreheads, cheeks, and chins (his own and others’). I feel like I’m watching the X-Wing pilots during the Star Wars finale: “Al-most theeerre… Al-most theeere…” “Stay on tar-get, stay on tar-get…!”
I haven’t been able to catch our man in the act photographically (it’s like trying to catch the appearance of his dimple–something a team of wildlife photogs would set up in a deer blind for two months to glimpse), but I’ll keep trying.
Associated Press, 11pm Pacific: A new Gallup/Zogby International poll of a random sampling of grown-ups at 983 Delmas Ave. reveals that those cold puddles on the floor are suspected to be:
Yes, it’s been a long evening…
Must… resist… urge… Must *resist*… new parent stereotype… to talk about… kid’s poop n’ pee… but alas, I cannot.
Hot town, summer in the city
Back of Finn’s neck feelin’ dirty and pukey…
Well, let it never be said that our boy isn’t a productive member of society–really putting the “gross” back in Gross Domestic Product. The wee man has been “sailing the seas of cheese,” auditioning for a future as the mayor of the British hamlet Cheese-upon-Ear!
Finn’s been putting out the business from both ends, and in volume–the Fountains of Bellagio, spraying in slow-mo, backlit by spotlights while Clair De Lune plays in the background. Or maybe we’ve started hallucinating. 😉
The good news is the yucksville antacid that Margot has been administering by pipette three times a day seems to be working–not suppressing spit-ups, obviously, but at least keeping Finn from hurting (and hence freaking) quite so much.
J.
PS–Maybe we can at least make some lemonade from these lemons, getting Finn some kind of NEA grant for his performances. 😉
Look!
It’s a bird in a bath!
In a sling!
On a mat!
How ’bout that?
Here’s the latest round of photos of our young amigo, including some where he’s “wearing his purple Speedo”–aka sitting in his new little rocking chair.
I’ve always read about how babies’ eyes don’t focus beyond 8″ or so for a while, about how they’re fascinated with faces, about how they love mobiles and other dangly bits, and so on. I’d never heard, however, of a kid being captivated–I mean straight-up FASCINATED–by something as simple as the color of a wall. Every time we put the Finnmaster onto his changing pad, however, his eyes immediate go to & stick on the wall. Seriously, check it out! He’s so persistently taken with this experience that we’ve come to call it “Finn watching his shows.” Soooo trippy. 😉
“Home is where the heart is.” It’s a cliche so familiar that I’ve never given it much thought. With Finn here, though, I get it. In fact, about a month before he arrived, I realized that I was no longer doing my usual whiny song-and-dance about the lameness of San Jose. I mean, sure, it’s not Manhattan or Brooklyn or Seattle, or even Boulder or Boston, but at this point who really cares? As long as our little crew is close by, everything else kind of fades into the background. 🙂
I’ll tell you one other thing: I’m coming to understand the importance of savoring every little moment of goodness. With his throat-burning spit-ups over the last week, Finn has kind of put us through the wringer. Tonight, though, he’s been a happy, alert little bambino, enjoying (well, at least not shrieking through) his first in-tub bath. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy watching him with Margot, listening to her sing to him just now from the other room.
Pics to follow shortly.
We really like Finn’s doc, Mena Sathappan, a groovy Indian lady whom we visited on Friday. Sometimes, though, her accent makes for slightly funny misunderstandings. The Finnfatha has been experiencing some crummy acid reflux, so she suggested some methods for helping:
Dr. S: “Do you have a veg pillow?”
Me: “Uh… I’m sorry, a…? {thinking, “Veg, as in vegetable?”}
Dr. S: “You know, something to elevate his head?”
Me: “{thinking, “Ah, WEDGE”} Oh yes, absolutely.”
Margot and I enjoyed the “veg” thing particularly because we have a running joke about tempura being “battered veg,” based on a skit from a British comedy show. Once we got the wedge pillow, Margot said, “Man, if Finn spits up on this thing, it really will be ‘battered veg,’ in every sense.” 🙂
We also enjoy the doc’s pronunciation of “esophagus”–“EE-so-FAY-gus.” Makes me want to ask whether there’s a book of Aesop’s Fables about the EEsoFAYgus!
In the spirt of Andre the Giant, Charles Darwin, and many, many others, I’m pleased to say that Finnegan Nack has a Posse!
😀
The only slight snag is that in the time since I made this graphic, the wee man has packed on three pounds and two inches. In relative terms it’s as if I added 45lbs. and 7in. in the last month!
You know, when it gets to be 6:30am and you haven’t managed to sleep all night, it just might be time to write off the idea and get ready for work. 🙂 (The Finn-man played a role in the current state of affairs, but so did my being wired with all kind of exciting work stuff unfolding now.)
The Liggetts headed home on Monday, but before they left we were able to grab a few shots with them, and to capture Finn and Margot in some nice light. In a couple of images he’s decked out in his little “Peanut” shirt from cousins Alicia, Fito, and Alejandro.
Greetings from a very, very dark room where the Finnfatha is dozing while Margot catches a late-evening shower. We’ve had a nice week with the Liggetts in town, helping enormously as I’ve made the transition back to working full time. I should have a few more pics to share soon, but this whole making-a-living thing kind of cramps my photographic & blogging style. 😉
Before my folks headed back to Illinois, my dad reminded me of some silliness I hadn’t heard in years. Instead of the traditional “This little piggy…” routine, his aunt used to get after his feet with a different approach. She’d start with the baby toe, calling them out by name & building up the drama:
“Peety Weety…
Polly Lutey…
Lady Thistle…
Lotty Thostle…
And a Great Big Domendite!!“
Heh heh–nice n’ bizarre, eh? 🙂
In any case, we had fun today “Documenting the Domendites” via a little kit given to us by Margot’s friend Janine.
Happy Easter, everyone. Here’s hoping that this message finds you well. We all had a wonderful day with both sets of grandparents on hand, putting up with the in-house paparazzo (me, of course). Here are the festivities.
The Nacks are winging their way home early tomorrow morning, while the Liggetts will be here for another week, helping to ease the transition as I return to work.
Today Mr. & Mrs. Liggett flew into town & were promptly introduced to our young amigo (Grandson III for them). We’ve rapidly shortened their handle from “Grandparents Liggett” to “GP’s L” to just “Jeeps L.” 🙂
Finn’s been a bit fussy today & especially this evening, but I do believe I caught him giving his grandpa a little smile…!
It’s great having everybody on hand, and we’re looking forward to a great Easter feast tomorrow.
People often ask whether I miss my cat (sent to live with my folks due to Margot’s allergies). Nah: now we have another warm little companion who sleeps 20 hours a day, popping up just occasionally to eat & flip out. 🙂 Here he is with his dad & Grandpa Nack. (Watch for his little bicep-kiss!)
We’ve chosen a shamrock theme for Finn’s blog, but from the looks of the image below, he might rather imitate his dad’s blog. 😉
Finn’s Grandma Nack (!) arrived on Tuesday, and his Grandpa Nack (!) joined us yesterday. So far it’s been great to introduce them to the little dude & to talk a walk, though he’s been somewhat fussy. (Right now Margot is dancing with him, singing a little Nada Surf song (something about Finn having “a party in his diaper”), and that seems to be working.) Here are some photos of the visit so far.
Hey everyone–Happy St. Paddy’s Day! The wee man has of course gotten into the spirit of the day, thanks especially to a very cute out from our neighbors Kristin and Steve. He actually got a little too into the spirit, pounding drinks last night and then coating himself in puke (too much info, I know, but I couldn’t resist ;-P)).
Update: See also the very funny “Stuff White People Like” post about the holiday.
